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Paris declares war on its four million-strong rat population

Viewers around the world fell for loveable Parisian rat Remy and his gang of subterranean pals in Disney’s 2007 hit Ratatouille, but their real-life counterparts are proving a little less popular.

The city of Paris this week announced a crackdown on the rodents following the “recent rise of [their] presence in Paris’s public spaces.” Measures include the introduction of environmentally-friendly rat traps in the affected areas and blocking exits to the sewer system.

The city has already temporarily closed two parks in order to clear the rodents, and is set to close several more for at least two weeks, including the Champ de Mars recreation ground underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Credit:
AP/Francois Mori

Paris has also announced plans to introduce rat-proof bins and a revised rubbish collection timetable for its street cleaners to prevent refuse being left out too long. These measures will be accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness of the problem, while warning residents and tourists not to feed the city’s pigeons.

It’s the sort of bad press it can ill afford. The number of tourists visiting the City of Light fell by 13 per cent between January and August 2016 compared with the same period in 2015, resulting in a loss of €1billion (£0.9bn) in monthly tourism revenue.

Credit:
AP/Francois Mori

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has also launched an environmental campaign, following a spike in pollution levels this week. She tweeted a picture of the Eiffel Tower covered in smog accompanied by the words: “Paris today. Evidence of the need to reduce the use of cars in the centre of town.”

The city temporarily made public transport free this week in order to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home, while temporarily introducing “circulation alternée” - a system whereby vehicles with odd and then even number plates are banned from the city each day.

Earlier this year, Telegraph Travel reported on the city’s €23m investment plan aimed at attracting tourists back to the city following terrorist attacks in 2015 and flooding this year. The municipality plan to invest in English classes for hospitality staff and will introduce a new CityPass and tourism app, among other measures.